Improvement in heel-trimming machinery for boots and shoes



A.` MCDOWELL. HEEL-TRIMMING'MACHINERY Fon BooTs'ND SHOES.v c No.17z,886. I Patented Feb.f1,1a7e.-

N. PETERS, HOTO-LITMOGRAFHER, WASHINGTON. D. C.

shown in previousy figures. of a movable holding or clamp plate, to be exf -plained. Fig. 7 is a view of anV adjustable nir-ran STATES l-frrch'in ALEXANDER MCDOWELL OF LAWRENCE,MASSACHUSETTS IMPROVEMENT IN HEEL-TRIMMING MACHINERY FOR BOOTS AND'SHOES.

Speciicationforming part' of Letters Patent N o. l72-,886, dated February 1, 1876; application filed I December 27,.,1875'. v Y

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ALEXANDER McDow- ELL, of Lawrence, Essex county, Massachu-v `."setts, have invented certain Improvements in lEIeel-Irimming Machinery, of which-the following is a specification:

These improvements relate to machinery the varying width of the heel-edge, my said invention being prompted by the style of heels now in extensive use, in which the rear porl tion of the edge -is much more sloping, and

lconsequently deeper, than the sides.

My improvements further relate tothe peculiar method ot -mounting the lknife-stock, whereby its position with respect to the heel ltobe trimmed, or to the pattern-plate which y determines the form of the tread of such heel,

is varied and adjusted.44 y

Details of my present The drawings accompanying this specification represent, in Figure l, a front elevation, in

Fig. 2 a rear elevation, in Fig. 3 a horizontal section, and in Fig. 4 a vertical and central ffsection, of a portion of a heel-trimming ma- Vchi-ne embodying my improvements.

Fig. 5 is a view of a different form of knife from tiat Fig. 6 is a View bearing-plate, to be explained. Figs. 8 and 9 .fare-views of two of the guards or gages, to be yhereinafter referred to. Fig. 10 is a view of a 4clamp-plate, also tobe described. Fig. 1l is a form of knife-blade employed under some con- .ditions.

In these drawings, A represents a baseplate, channeled upon its uppersurface to receive a sliding carriage, B, which plays within ...I .said channel, this base-plate A being, in use, bolted adjustablyto the top of a-table, which invention will be found to consist in minor attachments, whereby the knife-stock is adapted to receive a series vof interchangeable knife-blades.

constitutes part of a heel-trimming machine which Iam now designing, and which will-be the subject of future patents.

' The lowerfrontpart ofthe knife bears against the perimeter of the pattern-plate, to the con` tour of which the tread yof the heel is to be trimmed bythe trimming-knife; consequently the carriage B, which carries the knife, must havea yielding motion within or upon the base-plate A, and to effect this result I atfixto, the rear edge of such carriage a forkedplate,

C, which straddlesa rod, D, which screws intothe rear end of the said base-plate A, the plate C being forced up to a collar, c, formed uponsuch rod by a spring, b, interposed between said plate and the head of the screw.

Thespring b permits ot' the necessary end play ot' the knife-stock withrespect to the heel to be trimmed, to enable the boot or shoe to l bejintroduced to the machine, and the knife adapted to it, while, lto adapt the knit'estock vto heels of different sizes, the rod D is advanced or retracted, and the carriage B, as a v siteyertical adjustment, while to force the said stock and its knife up to the heel-edge or its pattern-plate, I employ a spring, H, se-

cured'to 4the bottom of. the carriage B, and with its't'ree end bearing'fagainst the rear side of the stock.

The trimming-knife is shown at I as fashioned from a plate of steel, and whose longi tudinal` curvature is to assimilate to the concave outline ofthe edge of the heel which it ,is to trim, this .knife being pivoted at its lower end toa block, a', secured to the frontof the stock E, as shown at c, the knife being disposedin front of, and parallel to, the stock,A

and at its upper-end 4passing through a slot,

d, created' in aV plate, J, which is secured to a carrier-block, K, which `slides upon such stock a sweep about such heel-edge, passes over this varyiugsurface, the carrierK, through the agency of the guard J slides upon the standard E, While the base of the knife, which bears against the pattern-plate of the heel, maintains a uniform position with respect to the latter.

It will thus be seen that I obtain a knife whose cutting-edge adapts itself automatically to the increasing or diminishing 4 width of the heel-edge.

To insure the necessary friction between the guard-plate J and the knife I, I interpose a spring, e, of any suitable character.

In Letters Patent of the United States issuedto me on the 24th day of August, 18,75, l show and describe a method of employing a series of interchangeable knives or knifeblades, which are secured to the knife-stock in such manner as to produce a yielding joint and motion between the two, one of these knife-blades being shown at L in Fig. 5 of the drawings. v

Under some circumstances it will be desirable to employ knives of this character with my present stock, and I have consequently provided for such a transposition by the following means: First, I remove the knife I and the intermediate block c entirely from the stock E, and the guard J from the carrier K. Next, l screw to the lower front part of the stock E a device for receiving the lower edge of the knife-blade L, this device being shown in the present instance, in Fig. 10 of the drawings, as a plate, N, in the upper edge of which I create a recess or pocket, g, in the lower part of which recess 'I place a screw, h, the threads of which engage a sectional screw'- thread, i, cut upon the lower edge of the knife-blade L, and by means of which screw the lateral position of the knife-blade with respect to the stock E may be varied.v To secure the upper edge of the blade L I create upon the front lower corner of the carrier K, a ledge, k, and furthermore secure to the under side of such carrier and in rear of such ledge a thin block, l, whose outer edge is serrated or roughened, as shown in Fig. 6, in order to retain firm hold upon the knife.

The carrier K `and abutment or plate N thus constitute a clamp to gripe the knife between them, and the power or extent of this gripe 'is governed by a screw, f, which is screwed through the upper part of the stock E and down upon the said carrier.

A knife-blade of the form shown in Fig. 11

may be employed by dispensing with the roughened clamp or block l, thellip c', which is formed upon the upper edge of such knife, being embraced or engaged by the ledge k.

In lieu of removing the intermediate block a. with the knife "I, it4 may be rallowed to remain, and a support provided for the lower edge of the knife L in the form of a plate,19, (see Fig. 7 ofthe drawiugs,) which is to be secured to the outer face ofthe said block a'.

-I do not confine myself' to the form or method of applying the lower support of they knife, as it may be effected in a variety of ways.

It is desirable, in some classes of work, to employ a longer guard with the interchangeable knife-blades than the guard J, before described. To providesuch' aguard I employ a block, g, "(see Fig. 9 ofthe drawings,) whose Aouter edge r constitutes the guard, and in whose upper surface I create a' recess, s, to receive the outer end of the carrier K, to `which it is securely bolted;

The block q thus constitutes a clamp-plat to hold the upper end of the knife in position, and as a guard to prevent injury by such knife to the upper; and the 4block may be partand parcel ofthe carrier, and of steel, or itself an independent piece of steel, and bolted to the carrier, which, for cheapness of construction, may beof malleable cast-iron. l

The depth gage or guard which `I employ with the last above-described method ofadapting the interchangeable knives is shown at O as making` part of a rectangular bar, P, (shown in Fig. 8,) which is secured adjustably to the side of such carrier by a pin-a-nd-slot connection, d', as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings,

the position ofthe guard upon the carrier b'e-` ing determined by a bolt, Q, which screws into the rear end of the bar I?, and whose head is formed with a peripheral channel, on, into which a forked stud, n, extends, this stud be ing attached to the rear side of the stockE, and pivotedor swiveled to the latter, in such manner as to rock upon its pivot and aecommodate itself to changes inthe slope ofthe bar P. l i i i I do 'not confine myself tothis means of combining a guard with the movable carrier, as my object in representing this means of accomplishing it is to illustrate one practical method by Which-a guard may be adapted, in order that it may accommodate itself to the sliding movements of the carrier upon the knife-stock.

It will be apparent that thegenei'al longi-l tudinal shape of the stock or standard E and of the knife I, Whether curved or straight, should be alike, and the two'be disposedin parallelism, for, although I do not restrict myself to such a condition, it will undoubtedly l secure the best results.

I claiml. In heel-trimming machinery, the combina- I tion, withthe trimming-knife, of a gage `or guard, which supports the upper end of the knife, and is arranged to automatically adapt itself to the varying width of the heel.- substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In heel-trimmin g machinery, the combination, with a pivoted trimming-knife,o f 'a gage or guard, which supports the free end of the knife, and is arranged to automatically adapt itself to the varying `width of the heel, and to adapt the knife tothe varying slope thereof, substantially as set forth.

3. The pivoted knife I and stock or support E, in combination with the adjustable carrier K, movable on said stock, and embracing the upper end of the knife, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In combination with the carriage B and the pivoted cheeks F, the stock E, pivoted to said cheeks, and the spring H between the stock and the carriage, for operation substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the base-plate A,

' of the knife-carriage B, springb, and adjusting-screw D, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the stock E, carrier K, and set-screw f, whereby interchangeable knives of various forms may be employed, substantially as and for'purposes stated.

substantially as and for purposes stated.

8. In heel-trimming machinery, aguard or depth-gage, adapted to serve `as a guard orgage, and as a clamp-plate= to hold the trim.

ming-knife, in 'combination with a support for the lower end of the knife, substantially as and for purposes stated.

9.` In combination with the guard O, carrier K', and stock E, the bar P, attached tothe carrier by a pin-and-slot connection, d', and having its head swiveled to said carrier by the forked stud it', substantially as and vfor the purposes set forth.

l0. The combination of the stock E, carriage B, and base-plate A, substantially as herein described, whereby a vertical and horizontal play or adjustability of the knife with respect to the heel-plate is obtained, essentially as and `for purposes stated.

ALEXANDER MODOWELL.

Witnesses F. CURTIS,

W. E. BOARDMAN. 

